Three hurt in southeastern Illinois oilfield fire

Monday, July 28, 2025 at 1:12 PM

By Steve Anderson

Authorities in Edwards County are still investigating the cause of an explosion and fire late last week at a rural oilfield lease.

According to reports, the incident occurred Friday, July 25th at 5:30 p.m. at the location on Illinois Route 130 between Albion and Grayville. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a wall of flames and smoke shooting high into the air. The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes.

Three oilfield workers were injured by the blast and were taken to various area trauma centers for treatment. They worked for the Dee Drilling Company which owns the lease, and their names and conditions have not been released. One firefighter was reportedly overcome by heat and was treated at the scene. It is thought that the explosion and fire may have been caused by the igniting of a pocket of gas where the workers were pulling poles out of the ground.